Trump aims to countersue sex assault accuser who sued him

By JENNIFER PELTZ
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump wants to countersue a former “Apprentice” contestant who accused him of defaming her when he denied her sexual assault allegations. Trump lawyer Alina Habba asked a court’s permission Monday to pursue a counterclaim against Summer Zervos. Habba writes that Trump is being harassed to keep him from speaking freely. Zervos lawyers Beth Wilkinson and Moira Penza say the law doesn’t give Trump a license to avoid accountability for his words. Zervos accused Trump in 2016 of unwelcome kissing and groping nine years earlier. His denials included retweeting a message that called her claims “a hoax.” The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted, unless they come forward publicly, as Zervos has.